


Electric Love

by Tinned_Beans



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mission Gone Wrong, Panic Attacks, Sad Tony, Stephen Loves Tony, no beta - we die like my sleep schedule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29983494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinned_Beans/pseuds/Tinned_Beans
Summary: Tony gets overwhelmed by stories on the news about a mission Rhodey and some of the other avengers went on which involved a few civilian casualties. He gets caught up in all the people he couldn't save rather than the ones he did and Stephen comes along to help him get through it.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Electric Love

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of a song fic here - it was inspired by the song Electric Love by Night Traveler. This is a sort of updated version of a story I posted a while ago. There were a couple of things I messed up and some bits that didn't add up. I really hope this is better xx

Carol never meant for the building to collapse. She just hadn't expected the earth beneath her feet to give way as she fired a photon blast. Wanda had managed to catch most of the debris while Loki rounded up civilians via portal. It wasn't enough though. It never was enough and never could be. Bodies were pulled out of the rubble days later, no matter how hard they tried.

The media had a field day with this particular mission. A nine year old girl - later identified as Athena Tricard - was one of the casualties. It wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened, and Carol knew it wasn't going to be the last time either, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was that there shouldn't be a first time at all.

\----------------

Tony sat in his workshop staring at the news. Rhodey was up there at a press conference about the collapsed building.

_"James Rhodes - could you tell us about the measures you are going to put in place to stop tragedies like this occuring in the future."_

Tony face-palmed. _What kind of a question is that? They know full well there is nothing we can do. These things happen - it's a side-effect of having idiots with superpowers running around, each believing it's their way or the high way._

"Jarvis, turn up the music," Tony sighed.

"Sir, would it not be easier just to turn off the news?" Jarvis answered.

"Nah, something important might come up, I need it on in the background." The music increased in volume ever so slightly. Tony glared at the ceiling as though Jarvis was starring down at him with a smug smile. The music increased a little more. Rolling his eyes, Tony glided in his swivel chair over to a screen to turn the music up manually.

The TV on the wall was showing an interview with the girl's parents now. _Fabulous. Fantastic._ Tony's head landed rather forcefully on the desk. He didn't see Bruce tapping the glass to be let into the lab, and his knocks were drowned out by the obnoxious thump of Phil Rudd on the drums.

\----------------

Bruce thumped on the glass more forecfully than before. He had tried the keypad 3 times now - Tony must have changed the code again. He was doing that more and more now: almost everyday the was a new pin to get in. He couldn't hear anything; Tony was probably listening to loud music though. He'd sound proofed the room after Pepper started complaining about the noise. 

Bruce walked along the corridor to see if he could see in to any more of the room. It appeared deserted apart from the news playing on the TV and... _not again..._ Tony with the head on the desk in the corner.

\----------------

Stephen's phone was lying on the bed next to him; he had his eyes closed and was mouthing ancient words in rhythm with his hand movements. He shot out of his trance as his phone started to ring.

"Stephen speaking."

"Hey, uh, Strange, it's Bruce - I don't know if you remember me-"

"I know you, don't worry. How can I help?"

"It's Tony."

Stephen stiffened up at this. He hadn't seen Tony or been contacted by him in a while and he was starting to get worried.

"Is he ok? I haven't heard from him in a while."

"He changed the pin again..."

"I'm on my way over."

Stephen hung up without another word, feeling a horrible sinking sensation in his chest. He changed his t-shirt, threw on a jacket and opened a portal to Tony's lab. He was greeted by a sound that no one should ever have to hear.

\----------------

Stephen was almost deafened - he didn't think ACDC could get any louder. Or more irritating for that matter. Of all things they could have titled their song, they'd chosen 'honey, what do you do for money'. _No one should have to suffer this noise. Ever._ The news was playing in the background - some sort of quiz show. Mindless and stupid - _just like the contestants.  
_

The workshop appeared empty - sure, it was littered with oddly shaped bits of metal and complex-looking, half-built bits of machinery, but that was all so impersonal and cold. Empty and dead - the room seemed to glow a ghostly blue. Stephen reached for what vaguely resembled a remote. He had no idea what it was for, he just pressed a couple of the buttons and hoped.

Miraculously, the music got quieter and the TV turned off. Stephen suspected it was more Jarvis humouring him than him actually pressing the right button though, given the music and TV went off at the same time. Stephen heard a muffled muttering sound now the cacophany was gone. It came from the corner of the room, where Stephen discovered the crumpled paper he had dismissed as a forgotten blueprint was actaully Tony in a shirt he'd been wearing for 3 days straight.

"Tony-"

Tony turned around so fast, his shoulders tensing together before relaxing at the sight of Stephen. "Hey - Dr Weird."

Stephen rolled his eyes at the nickname, instead wandering closer to Tony, who was getting up from the desk and turning to sit on it. Paper crunched together as Tony sat. _He's never that careless._

"Are you ok after that mission?" Stephen asked tentatively.

"Of course - I didn't even go on it," Tony replied nonchalantly.

"You know what I mean..."

"Of course I'm fine." Arms were winding themselves around Stephen's waist, drawing him closer, and small kisses began fluttering into Stephen's neck.

"Care to tell me what those papers you're sitting on are, then?"

"Just another project I'm working on," came the far too vague reply. The fluttering kisses were becoming more assertive.

"Now I know that's not true," Stephen smirked into Tony's neck, tightening his own arms around Tony's waist.

"Really Doc," Tony breathed between kisses, "I thought you'd have more tru- hey!"

Stephen had scooped up tony and lifted him clean off the desk, depositing him on the desk chair. He then turned to read the scrawl of names stretching over the thin sheets of A2 covering the expensive steel desk. Most of them he didn't recognise, however a couple stood out - the last name being Athena. They were casualties from past missions.

He turned around to find silent tears running down Tony's face. "They- they're all gone." Tony's voice shook - shaking with the untold stories of all those who hadn't made the news. All the deaths that went unnoticed and only added to the blood Tony couldn't scrub off his hands.

"I know." Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony's quivering body and held him close. His hands found their way into Tony's hair to smooth his fingers through it. It was relaxing for both - soothing the metphorical and physical pain each was suffering from. Stephen could feel the tears soaking through his shoulder. He only held on tighter.

\----------------

Stephen had watched the sun drop below the clouds over the last hour and was now faced with a deep purple night. The concrete wall was cold and hard against his back, but the gorgeous view of pink tipped clouds had compensated for the discomfort. Tony's head was in his lap, face still slightly damp with the remnants of tears crusted on. Stephen's hands were still combing through Tony's hair long after he fell asleep, Stephen keeping watch. It had been a long day.


End file.
